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Showing resources within ‘everything’ for ‘everyone’ about ‘anything’ suitable for ‘anyone’.
Showing resources within ‘everything’ for ‘everyone’ about ‘anything’ suitable for ‘anyone’.
Compose music inspired by the signals of pulsars and by Ripples in Spacetime II by composer Jia Guoping.
Guidance on using existing contemporary repertoire as a stimulus for composing with young people.
Guidance for composing with beginner instrumentalists
Exploring the history of children composing, the composing process, effective pedagogies, planning and managing composing activity in the primary classroom.
BCMG violinist Colette Overdijk talks about composing for violin: the range, traditional and extended techniques. Listening suggestions included.
Compose music using things you find in the garden or park inspired by composer John Cage's Child of Tree.
A toolkit to support the teaching and learning of composing in primary schools
This resource is the result of an exchange of ideas between teachers and composers called Exchanging Notes designed to strengthen and investigate new strategies for the teaching of composition across the secondary music curriculum.
At BCMG we strive to be as inclusive and accessible as we can. In this welcome pack, you will find some useful information about what to expect on one of our workshop day, who you will meet and how to access the building and workshop spaces.
This resource shares the Listen Imagine Compose Primary Research Findings Executive Summary
Compose by borrowing or stealing a tune from a piece you already know. Re-imagine it to create your own melody.
Compose music for your family using sound makers that you find around your home. Inspired by John Cage's Living Room Music.
The full set of BCMG's Big Ears Resource Packs created to accompany our 2006-2014 Schools Concerts. Created before this website exisited, these PDF packs contain including composing activities inspired by contemporary classical music and curricula topics.
This resource is designed to introduce young people to careers in The Arts. BCMG have created a series of short careers videos which demonstrate the range of jobs behind the scenes of a music ensemble.
Guidance on composing for saxophone. BCMG saxophonist Kyle Horch talks about composing for oboe: the range, traditional and extended techniques and composing idiomatically for the instrument.
A collection of Q & As with living composers about their practice and creative process. John Woolrich, Tansy Davies, Phil Cashian, Colin Matthews and Peter Wiegold.
Composing new music inspired by Silbury Hill by composer Harrison Birtwistle. Playing with ‘musical objects’, exploring tempo, dynamics and articulation.
Compose a short piece on one note using dynamics, articulations and other techniques to create musical expression and character.
Compose music inspired by the map of your daily walk, scoot or cycle.
Explore how children can compose music, words and visual art inspired by trees.
Imagine Compose was a two year partnership project with Birmingham Music Service funded by Youth Music that aimed to encourage and nurture beginner instrumentalists to compose and improvise from the beginning of their musical lives. Written by Professor Martin Fautley, Dr Victoria Kinsella and Kirsty Devaney.
Guidance on composing for trumpet. BCMG trumpet player Ryan Linham talks about composing for trumpet: the range, traditional and extended techniques and composing idiomatically for the instrument.
A collection of Q &As with living composers about their practice and creative process. Charlotte Bray, Shiori Usui, Edmund Finnis, Michael Wolters, Melinda Maxwell and Micahel Zev Gordon.
Composing using types of movement (circling, spinning, floating, grinding, sinking, teetering, soaring). Inspired by These Particular Circumstances by composer Sean Shepherd.
Compose new music using the shape of a skyline near you to create a melody.
This 'work in progress' resource is designed to help Music Hubs and Music Services develop a strategy to support young people's composing
Compose using different conducted signals.
Compose music for a superhero of your own design.
Compose new music using the shape and character of star constellations. Inspired by Sternklang by the composer Karlheinz Stockhausen.
Composing using bird song inspired by Oiseaux Exotiques by Olivier Messiaen.
In this activity the children start with a melody that they already know, create variations and compose new melodies and accompaniments.
Guidance on composing for oboe. BCMG oboist Melinda Maxwell talks about composing for oboe: the range, traditional and extended techniques and composing idiomatically for the instrument.
Compose a melody using the changing shape and colour of clouds. Inspired by Cirrus Light for solo clarinet by British composer Jonathan Harvey.
In this activity children spontaneously improvise musical conversations in pairs. The activity encourages the children to listen and respond to the musical ideas of a partner through improvisation as well as invent their own. It supports and encourages young musicians to be musically expressive, without worrying about exact pitches or rhythms.
Compose music using noisy toys from around your house inspired by the music of Joseph Haydn, Benedict Mason and the Modified Toy Orchestra.
Musical warm up games for the primary classroom.
Guidance on composing for flute. BCMG flautist Tony Robb talks about composing for flute: the range, traditional and extended techniques and composing idiomatically for the instrument.
Compose music for imaginary or real deep sea worlds, inspired by Deep by composer Shiori Usui.
Compose a 60 second mandala melody inspired by A Dust in Time by Huang Ruo.
Guidance on composing for cello. BCMG cellist Elaine Ackers talks on video about composing for cello: the range, traditional and extended techniques and composing idiomatically for the instrument.
Compose a short piece of music for a more experienced musician to play
Composing musical textures inspired Chamber Concerto by Gyorgy Ligeti
Composing music for Iris, goddess of the rainbow inspired by Iris by composer Tansy Davies
Guidance on composing for bassoon. BCMG bassoonist Nikolaj Henriques talks about composing for bassoon: the range, traditional and extended techniques and composing idiomatically for the instrument.
Collection of Q & As with living composers exploring their practice and creative process.
This activity uses physical movements and gestures to compose musical ideas which have clearly defined characters and are then combined to create small group pieces. The activity provides a clear template for starting with an extra-musical ideas and translating it into music using simple and effective strategies
Compose music for your voice inspired by Sequenza III for Voice by composer Luciano Berio.
Compose music inspired by Density 21.5 for solo flute by Edgard Varese. Resource created by Ben Markland.
Create your own graphic score inspired by composers such as Cornelius Cardew, Cathy Berberian and John Cage.
Guidance on composing for bamboo flute (bansuri). Bamboo flautist Max Gittings talks about composing for bamboo flute: the range, traditional and extended techniques and composing for the instrument within different global traditions.
Composing inspired by the changing colours and shapes of clouds. Inspired by Cirrus Light by composer Jonathan Harvey.
Compose new music using the design and pattern of a mandala to organise, group and move around the notes of the D minor scale. Resource created by Ben Markland.
BCMG viola player Bridget Carey talks about composing for viola: the range, traditional and extended techniques and composing idiomatically for the instrument.
Compose using the movements and gestures of a clown. Inspired by the 2nd Movement of Three Pieces for String Quartet by Igor Stravinsky.
A simple guide to composing. Open your ears, play and experiment.
Fun activities and tips on improvising to develop your skills and confidence. Resource created by Ben Markland.
Compose your own percussion piece inspired by Ionisation by composer Edgard Varèse
Doodle along to BCMG oboe player Melinda Maxwell performing her own composition Sounding Out Varèse. Then compose your own music using your doodle!
Compose new music inspired by Octandre by composer Edgard Varèse. Parallel the creative process of BCMG oboe player and composer Melinda Maxwell.
Compose short melodies from given rhythms and order them into a longer piece inspired by In C by Terry Riley.
A simple guide to using the recording and editing software Audacity
Compose a duet and notate it with a graphic score. Perform both parts and bring it together using the free app A Capella
Find and compose with unusual sounds on your musical instrument. Inspired by A Visible Trace by composer Rebecca Saunders.
Compose using a code to create a musical cryptogram melody. Inspired by music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Pierre Boulez.
A simple guide to composing. Open your ears, experiment and be playful
Collection of Q & As with living composers exploring their practice and creative process.
Play along, karaoke style(!), with BCMG trumpet player Richard Blake in a new piece, Counting Steps by New Zealand/US composer Celeste Oram.
Explore solo improvisation and musical storytelling inspired by Syrinx for solo flute by Claude Debussy. Resource created by Ben Markland.
Compose a spooky duet inspired by Four Nocturnes (Night Music II) for violin and piano by George Crumb
Compose simple melodies to describe friends and family inspired by the zodiac using a music box app or a real music box, inspired by Tierkreis by composer Karlheinz Stockhausen
Compose a 60 second piece of music inspired by A Dust in Time by composer Huang Ruo.
Compose a simple melodies inspired by Ben Somewhen by composer Howard Skempton using the roll of a dice and the toss of a coin.
Compose a piece of music for 1 performer that is a short drama between 3 characters. Inspired by Masks for solo flute by British composer Oliver Knussen
Unleash your musical creativity this summer with 24 composing challenges. Be inspired by the world around you.
Unleash your musical creativity this summer with 24 composing challenges. Be inspired by the world around you!
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